188: Mysterious Girl

"Who?!"

The sudden voice from behind made Chu Qianqian, who was immersed in her vow to "never beg Lu Yi," nearly jump out of her skin.

*Hiss—*

In that instant, she felt a wave of cold energy surge from her tailbone straight to the top of her head. Her hair stood on end, as if a prehistoric beast had breathed a cold draft onto her back.

What truly made her scalp tingle with horror wasn't that someone had arrived.

But rather, how on earth did this person get here?

One must know that although she was emotional just now, she had maintained a high level of vigilance.

Not to mention, a former top-tier powerhouse resided within her Sea of Consciousness.

Although Ancestor Chu Yaohua was only a remnant Soul, her Soul perception was still terrifyingly powerful. Even in this cave that suppressed Divine Sense, any movement within a ten-mile radius could never escape her Dharma Eye.

Yet, until the second she spoke, this girl had seemed like thin air in Ancestor Chu Yaohua's perception—completely non-existent!

*Clang!*

Chu Qianqian spun around abruptly, the Spiritual Sword in her hand humming as she instantly assumed a defensive stance.

However, when she saw the person behind her clearly, the vigilance in her eyes instantly turned into... dazed bewilderment.

What greeted her eyes wasn't some hideous, murderous old monster.

Instead, it was a girl who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, with twin ponytails and wearing a pale purple Flowing Fairy Dress.

The girl was sweet and lively in appearance, her skin as fair as jade, and she was blinking her large eyes at her.

But what truly took the breath away from both Chu Qianqian and Ancestor Chu Yaohua was that this girl was practically a mobile exhibition hall, a walking super treasury!

The seemingly ordinary Wooden Hairpin on her head faintly emitted a holy glow; it was definitely a top-grade Sacred Artifact!

The inconspicuous necklace around her neck flowed with obscure power of Law; it could likely withstand a full-strength strike from a Saint!

The jade bracelet on her wrist, the jade pendant at her waist, even the boots on her feet... *Gulp.*

Ancestor Chu Yaohua swallowed hard within the Sea of Consciousness:

"That bracelet... if I'm not mistaken, it's engraved with Saint Runes. It might be a genuine Sacred Artifact!"

"With this set of equipment, any single item picked off her body could buy half of Cangyuan City!"

Facing such a "little girl" armed to the teeth.

Chu Qianqian was momentarily speechless, her grip on her sword wavering, unsure of how to respond.

"Hey, you haven't answered my question yet."

Seeing Chu Qianqian dazed and silent, the Purple-clad Girl seemed to lose her patience.

"Don't want to say? Then I'll take a look myself."

Before her voice had even faded, the girl lightly tapped her toes. There was no sign of Spiritual Qi fluctuation, and even the airflow didn't change.

*Whoosh!*

Her entire being seemed to teleport, instantly crossing a distance of several yards!

The speed was so fast that Chu Qianqian's retinas couldn't even capture an afterimage. She could only rely on instinct to retreat half a step in a clumsy manner.

By the time Chu Qianqian regained her senses.

That exquisite, flawless face was already right in front of her nose, their breaths audible to each other.

"You..."

Before Chu Qianqian could react.

The Purple-clad Girl already had her hands behind her back, tilting her head. Her large eyes, which seemed to speak, sparkled with curiosity as she began to circle Chu Qianqian.

Three times to the left, three times to the right. As she circled, she sized Chu Qianqian up with an uninhibited gaze, occasionally letting out "tsk-tsk" sounds.

That look... it wasn't like she was looking at a person at all, but rather like she was appraising a newly unearthed antique, or watching a monkey she'd never seen before in a zoo.

Being scrutinized so closely and from every angle by a stranger in this narrow tunnel.

Chu Qianqian felt entirely uncomfortable, as if her clothes had been stripped off. The sense of shame and awkwardness was driving her crazy.

She tried to release her Aura to overwhelm the other party.

*Buzz—*

But the layers upon layers of treasure light on the girl automatically protected her, nonchalantly deflecting her Aura and leaving her with no way to strike.

"You... who exactly are you?!"

Chu Qianqian could only blush and retreat into a corner, stammering her question:

"You... what are you looking at?! Do you think it's appropriate to stare at someone so rudely?!"

Hearing the question, the Purple-clad Girl finally stopped.

She extended a finger as white as a scallion and tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Then, in a tone that was innocent and devoid of malice, yet extremely damaging to one's self-esteem, she commented seriously:

"It really is strange. I see your Bone Age is barely over twenty. To be able to Cultivate to this Realm in a place as Spiritual Qi-impoverished as this Lower Realm is barely passable."

Before Chu Qianqian could breathe a sigh of relief, the girl's tone shifted:

"But... looking at your Skeletal Structure and Aptitude... it's clearly mediocre. You're the kind of ordinary stock that wouldn't stand out in a crowd—just average talent."

The girl looked confused:

"Since your Aptitude is so poor, how is the Spiritual Qi in your body so pure and solid?"

She leaned in a bit closer and asked curiously:

"Hey, big sister, did you... accidentally eat some Heaven And Earth Treasure when you were little? Or were you forcibly matured using drugs?"

"Me... mediocre Aptitude? Ordinary stock? Forcibly matured?!"

Hearing those words.

Chu Qianqian's eyes widened, and she nearly choked to death on the spot.

Who was she? She was the Yaochi Saintess!

She was the publicly acknowledged favored daughter of heaven in the Heavenly Profound Realm! A peerless Genius in the hearts of countless young elites! An existence with a special Physique!

From childhood to adulthood, all she heard were things like "heaven-sent talent" and "stunningly brilliant."

Today... she was actually evaluated as "ordinary stock" by a little slip of a girl?

"You!!"

This was simply a massive insult to her character, her dignity, and the judgment of the Yaochi Holy Land!

If her reason hadn't told her she couldn't beat this rich girl in "god-tier gear," she would have drawn her sword and slashed her long ago!

Just as Chu Qianqian's chest heaved with anger and she was prepared to discard all caution to defend her dignity.

The Purple-clad Girl's next words, however, sent a jolt through her heart, and all her anger instantly turned into a chill.

The girl wrinkled her cute little nose, seemingly sensing the fluctuations when Chu Qianqian circulated her Spiritual Qi.

She tilted her head in confusion and murmured to herself:

"And... what I find most strange is..."

The girl stared at the location of Chu Qianqian's Dantian:

"The Spiritual Qi circulating in your body... always gives me a sense of familiarity. This Aura... is very familiar..."

"!!!"

Chu Qianqian hadn't yet realized what this implied.

But Ancestor Chu Yaohua, within her Sea of Consciousness, felt as if she'd been struck by a bolt from the blue; her Soul form was trembling violently.

What Chu Qianqian was currently Cultivating was exactly the unique Cultivation Technique she had relied on to make a name for herself and awe the Upper Realm back then!

This technique, with her fall, should have logically been completely lost!

Aside from herself, no one else in this world should have ever seen it!

Deep within the Sea of Consciousness.

Ancestor Chu Yaohua stared intently at the seemingly harmless Purple-clad Girl outside.

Her voice was filled with unprecedented shock, fear, and unbelievable suspicion:

"How is it possible... this girl... actually finds my unique Cultivation Technique familiar?! Could it be..."

Ancestor Chu Yaohua's voice became sharp and trembling:

"Could it be... she is related to the group of people who joined forces to kill me back then?!!"